Common Name(s): Lauryl isopentyl peg/ppg-18/18 methicone,peg/ppg-18/18 lauryl methicone,silicone peg/ppg emulsifier

DESCRIPTION

What It Does: Helps silicone and water blend smoothly for lightweight, non-greasy skin care formulas.

Why It's Used: A multi-modified silicone emulsifier combining peg/ppg hydrophilic arms with lipophilic lauryl and isopentyl chains on a methicone backbone.

How It Works: Peg arms provide hydrophilicity; ppg arms provide intermediate polarity; lauryl/isopentyl chains provide silicone/oil-phase compatibility; the complex architecture creates a versatile silicone emulsifier for w/si and hybrid systems.

Typically Found In: Water-in-silicone emulsions,hybrid emulsions,lightweight sunscreens,silicone skin care

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Primary Category: Functional ingredient – emulsifier

Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning,emollient,silicone-phase emulsification

Application Areas:

Typical Concentration Range: 0.5%–5%

SOURCING & ETHICS

Vegan Status: Conditional - supplier confirmation required

Halal Status: Yes

Source Notes: Silicone-based; synthetic; peg/ppg from petrochemical. [audit 2026-07-29 rev2: status downgraded on audit. determination requires shariah-panel sign-off.]

SKIN COMPATIBILITY

Irritancy Rating: 1/5 – very low

Comedogenicity Rating: 1/5 – low

Sensitivity Concerns: Generally well tolerated. silicone-derived.

Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes

SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY

Safety Profile: Good safety profile. ewg score: 1–2.

Works Well With: Cyclopentasiloxane,dimethicone,organic emollients,sunscreen actives

Avoid Combining With: Incompatible with highly ionic aqueous systems

SCIENTIFIC NOTE

Multi-substituted silicone emulsifiers with mixed peg/ppg and alkyl modifications represent the evolution of silicone emulsifier design toward versatility; the 18/18 peg/ppg ratio gives intermediate hydrophilicity between peg-dominant and ppg-dominant silicone emulsifiers.

Last Verified: 2026-03-27

Primary Sources: Cosing database,shin-etsu/evonik technical data,inci dictionary